Motor vehicles have a chassis number marking section on which a chassis number or VIN is applied by stamping. In a typical example shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-119458, the chassis number marking section is provided in a cowl box of the vehicle front body portion that is formed by a windshield panel assembly and a dash upper panel assembly. A cowl top garnish having a generally U-shaped cross section opening in an obliquely downward and rearward direction of the vehicle is attached to an upper front end of the cowl box so that a hollow internal space of the cowl box can be used as an outside air intake duct for air conditioning as well as a rain water drainage gutter. The chassis number marking section has a rectangular plate-like configuration formed as a front end extension of the windshield panel assembly and extends substantially parallel to upper and lower legs of the U-shaped cowl top garnish. The plate-like chassis number marking section has an underside surface on which a chassis number is applied by stamping during manufacture of the vehicle body. The lower leg of the cowl top garnish has an opening to which a holder is removably mounted, and the holder has an aperture which is opened and closed by a sliding lid. The opening of the cowl top garnish and the aperture of the holder are aligned with the chassis number marking section so that the chassis number stamped on the chassis number marking section can be visually observed through the aperture while the sliding lid is disposed in a fully opened position. In the event that the existing chassis number is to be removed and replaced by a new chassis number, the holder is removed from the cowl top garnish so as to allow a stamping tool or apparatus to access the chassis number marking section through the opening of the top cowl garnish.
The arrangement shown in JP 2005-119458 A is not fully satisfactory in that the chassis number stamping process is tedious and time-consuming because the holder should be removed from the cowl top garnish to provide the opening through which the chassis number marking section is accessible to the stamping tool. Furthermore, the chassis number marking section formed as an end extension of the windshield panel assembly is relatively low in rigidity, which will lower the yield of the chassis number stamping process. Additionally, since the chassis number is stamped on the underside surface of the chassis number marking section, visual observation of the chassis number is uneasy to perform. When the vehicle encounters a frontal collision with an obstacle such as a pedestrian, the obstacle may crash against the cowl box and damage the chassis number marking section.